


It's My Time

by milesabovepeter



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, F/M, Reincarnated AU!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-18
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2020-07-08 05:03:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19863940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/milesabovepeter/pseuds/milesabovepeter
Summary: Ruby Rose died valiantly and heroically as she had always wanted...so you can understand her confusion when she opens her eyes 10 years prior. With knowledge of the future watch as Ruby tries to change history for the better!





	1. Back To The Basics

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a while since I've written fanfiction and honestly, I should get a beta but I'm too excited! I hope you enjoy my take on things!

There was a burst of pain and then there was nothing. Ruby was falling in forever inky darkness with no end in sight. And then, suddenly there was light, sound, touch! One of her favorite songs was blasting from her headphones as her eyes adjust to the light and the object--a magazine--in her hands.

“--kill you!” Came a gruff voice as she's suddenly shoved around. Ruby's eyes widened as she recalled this exact moment from years ago. 

"Huh?!" She cries out as he waves his sword threateningly.

"I said put your hands in the air!"

With the strongest sense of deja vu Ruby looks taken aback before responding. "A-are you robbing me?" 

"Yes!"

"Oooh." And before he could make another movement a flurry of rose petals filled the shop and wrapped up all of the thugs. The windows and doors burst open as they were flung out of the store at a high speed. Only one Roman Torchwick was untouched. All of his goons were dazed at the sudden movement as they regained their bearings.

"Ooookay," Torchwick drags the word out, surprise in his features before glaring. A little red Hunter in training. "Well? Get her!"

The group tries rushing at her. Ruby nimbly dodges and doesn't even take out Crescent Rose. There was no need to with how slow they were moving in her eyes. As she dodges, Ruby's mind was processing what had happened.

She had died at 24 and had miraculously been reincarnated. But unlike Ozpin and the Maidens, who kept moving forward, she had been shunted to the past. Ruby had only read about situations like these in comic books!

It seemed that both her memory and soul were intact as she knew where she was and could pull off Rose Storm, a skill she had learned when she turned 20.

Feeling a little less confused, Ruby quickly takes out the goons with a few well-placed punches. She adjusts her force since she was in a young body but all that training weaponless was paying off. 

"You were every penny, truly you were," Torchwick quips before spitting out his cigar and firing at it. Smoke and dust covered the area as she coughed through it, knowing exactly where he was headed. 

Ruby practically flys to the top of the roof as she wiped out Crescent Rose's sniper mode. Before she took a shot at him as he threw a fire crystal at her feet and caused to explode.

It was at that moment Ms. Goodwitch appeared and defended Ruby.

Cinder steps out eyes glowing behind the shadows. Ruby snarls as she narrows her eyes at the woman. Glynda attempts to stop Cinder with Ruby's assistance but the two got. Before she knew it, Ruby is being praised and scolded in the same breath by her former (new?) teacher. It was so forlorn and familiar that she couldn't help but smile.

Glynda takes the young girl's expression to be cheekiness, however before she could correct Ruby, a man entered carrying a plate of cookies.

"Ruby Rose," He says, placing the cookies onto the table. Ruby wasn't sure what face to make at the sight of him, "you have silver eyes."

"Ah yio haov silvuh haer," she replies with a mouth full of cookies. Old habits huh.

"Do you know who I am?"

 _Yes I do._ "You're Professor Ozpin, headmaster of Beacon Academy."

"And where did an adorable little girl learn to use one of the most dangerous weapons ever created? Reminds me of a dusty old crow."

"My uncle Qrow Brawnwen taught me everything he knows at Signal." Ruby replies evenly, "I've always wanted to be a Hunter and he turned me from garbage into well," She did a flash chopping motions with her hands. Ozpin seems highly amused by this.

"How would you like to join my school?" He asks her. She watches him for a moment before smiling.

"It would be an honor, sir." 

"Well, okay." Ozpin smiles despite Glynda's roll of her eyes.

*******

“Oh, I can’t believe my little sister is going to Beacon with me! I’m so proud of you!” Yang cooes as she squeezes her sister. 

“It was nothing, honest.” Ruby replies as she hugs back. 

“Are you okay? You’ve been acting weird lately,” Yang pouts, having noticed something was off about her baby sibling. Yang places a hand on her shoulder, “I know you might be lonely and sad after leaving your friends behind at Signal but I know you’ll meet some great new ones!” 

Ruby grins at the concerned look on Yang’s face. She gently takes the hand-the one that Yang loses-into her own and presses on it lightly. It was then she saw a familiar face, going for small pouch on her side and pulling out a vial. 

“I’ll be fine. Someone once told me that strangers are just friends you haven’t met yet.” Ruby assures a blinking Yang as she approaches a lanky boy who wasn’t looking so well. “Hey, drink this--slowly! Slowly.” 

The boy all but downs the vial without question, wiping his mouth as he surprisingly feels so much better. 

“T-thanks? What was that?”

“Mild motion sickness potion. Made it myself! I’m Ruby. Ruby Rose.” She holds out a hand and he took it to shake.

“I’m Jaune Arc. Nice to meet you, Ruby.” 

“Since when do you start carrying medicine let alone make your own?” Yang asks as she steps up beside her sister, looking Jaune up and down before determining he wasn’t a threat. “I’m Yang, Ruby’s sister.”

“Ever since--” Ruby’s cut off by Glynda’s appearance and short speech with Yang and Jaune paying attention to the Professor’s words. Half an hour passes by with the trio sharing childhood stories and showing off their weapons. Jaune’s super impressed that that the two sisters actually made their weapons! 

“I’m just saying,” Jaune points out as they walk off the ship, “Motion sickness is a much more common problem then people think it is.” 

“Whatever you say, Vomit Boy.” Yang teases though he hadn’t thrown up thanks to Ruby’s foresight. 

“Don’t call me that! It’ll stick for the next four years!” Jaune cries, not paying attention as he’s walking and bumps into someone. Ruby moves quickly and pulls this person into a dip. A million things race through her mind as silver meets glacial blue: words they had shared, phrases that had gone unsaid, and declarations Ruby wished she had voiced.

“Careful, princess.” Ruby settles on with a smile. The girl Ruby has saved from a spill has snow white hair and a deep frown despite the blush on her pale face.

“Wha-who-??” The girl stammers but before she can form a proper sentence a voice chimes in.

“It’s heiress, actually. Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company--” Comes a cool, slightly deeper feminine voice. Ruby makes sure Weiss is upright as she turns. Dressed in black with a little bow atop her head, enters Blake. A book in one hand, she picks up a vial of dust and narrows her eyes. Ruby notices now how cat like they are when she’s angry and wonders how she had missed it in her original timeline. Out of the corner of her eye she sees Yang’s eyes lock onto Blake and can’t help but smirk inwardly.

“Well I’m glad someone respects my name,” Weiss says. She goes to dust herself off when she realizes Ruby hadn’t let go of one of her hands in helping her steady. Roughly, Weiss takes back her appendage though before she can ask Blake’s name, it’s gone downhill.

“--owners of the largest generators of Dust not to mention their questionable work environments for the faunus.” Blake all but snarls. 

“Why I never!” Weiss cries, before storming off in annoyance. Before she disappears however, she throws a look in Ruby’s direction. It’s one of confusion and intrigue but Weiss doesn’t speak on it before sashaying away. Blake also has made her exit even as Yang goes to call out to her. 

Ruby's eyes go to her sister's outstretched hand, the robotic limb superimposing over Yang's current one. 

"Since when did you become so suave?" Yang's voice pulls Ruby to the present, a cheeky grin on her face. Ruby can't help but blush a little as she fully realizes how she had acted.

"I was just trying to help!" Ruby cries as Yang turns her full attention to teasing her sister. The sound of laughter follows them as they entered orientation room.

Ruby looks around and easily heard the bubbly Nora amidst the crows with Ren beside her. Ruby stops when a flash of red hair catches her eyes. She can't help but tear up as Pyrrha Nikos enters her vision.

"Hey are you okay?" Jaune asks her. Ruby rubs at her eyes and shakes her head.

"I'm fine! Hey, you see that girl over there? Go introduce yourself."

Jaune straightens his back and puff out his chest only for Ruby pat him. 

"Just be genuine! Say where your from, how nervous you are, maybe bring up your sisters."

"Wait how-" Jaune starts to ask before Ruby has all but teleported him. Besides him is a beautiful, muscular red headed girl. "Uh, hi I'm Jaune? Who are you?"

Ruby nods with a satisfied grin as Jaune and Pyrrha hit it off. It does take long before they are laughing together.

"And now you're playing matchmaker? Who are you and what have you done with my sister?" Yang asks, a hand on her him as she playfully narrows her eyes.

"I just felt like they'd get along is all. And I was right." Ruby explains.

"Excuse me?" Comes Weiss's voice and Ruby turns to look in her direction.

"Yeah?" Ruby asks in reply.

"I-" Weiss hesitates, biting her tongue and looking over shoulder before continuing. "I wanted to thank you for the assist earlier. That could have resulted in an explosion. As you're aware I'm Weiss Schnee but I didn't catch your name?"

"Ruby Rose. I was lucky enough to skip ahead." Ruby says catching how Weiss's eyes shine when she implies she's younger. Ruby holds out a hand. Ruby can tell Weiss thinks she's some sort of child prophecy. Weiss quickly glances at Pyrrha who's hitting it off with Jaune before nodding to herself and shaking Ruby's hands.

"Nice to meet you Ruby. This might just be fate."


	2. Landing Point

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The teams are form and training for a better future begins!

“You know, it’s kind of like one big sleepover? Though I don’t think Dad would approve.” Yang muses as her eyes look over fellow classmates before she snickered at the sight of Jaune in his onesie. 

“Hmm,” Ruby gives a hum of agreement as she continues sketching. Yang leans over to see Ruby designing a simple magnum pistol, a crescent moon etched into the design.

“I thought you were fine with Crescent Rose?” 

“It’s not for me.” 

“A weapon for someone else? *gasp* Do you have a crush?!” Yang teases before met with a pillow.

“It isn’t like that,” Ruby replies her eyes flashing to over to Weiss not to far away. She was brushing her hair and singing a tuneless song to herself, Then her eyes caught Blake and she smirks, “Come on, there’s that girl you were staring at earlier.”

“Wh-what? I wasn’t staring!” Yang cries as she pulled towards Blake. Ruby couldn’t help but laugh at how different this situation from the first time. Yang recovers just in time and calls you. “Hellooooo!” 

Blake looks up for her book for a moment, recognition in her eyes before she turns back to her book.

“I’m Yang! And this is my sister Ruby! We ran into you earlier!”

“Blake.” 

“I like your bow. It really matches your...pajamas.” Yang gives her sister a side-eye look when she receives no response. “Yeah, this girl is a lost cause.”

“What are you reading?” Ruby asks despite knowing what the response.

“It’s an about a man with two souls,” Blake’s upper ears flicker ever so slightly as she looks up this young girl. It has been far too long since anyone asked her about books, she realizes. 

“Yang used to read to me bedtime stories about heroes and monsters. I always wanted to do that: to save the day and protect others from danger.” 

“That’s very ambitious for a child, but reality often is much crueler than fairy tales,” Blake says, locking eyes with Ruby who nods in agreement to Blake’s surprise.

“But that’s what we’re here for! To make the stories real, at least a little.” Ruby replies, “The least we can do is try.”

***

"Hey Jaune, remember to bend your knees." Ruby suddenly recalls before she's fired off into the air. 

“What do you me--” He starts to ask as he squats before he’s rocketed away. 

Ruby can’t help but laugh from Jaune’s cries as she dodges Mr. Birdy in this life. Decreasing her speed while she’s in midair, one of her favorite tricks she picked up, she lands softly without a sound. In the next blink blitzing off into a wave of rose petals. It doesn’t take long until she stops on a dime in front of a girl in all white, a rapier at her waist. 

“Hi, Weiss, I guess you were right.” Ruby smiles as she dips into a small curtsy. Weiss’s look of a surprise this time was much better than her look of annoyance. It morphed quickly into a small smile.

“Of course I was,” She says haughtily before returning the curtsy. 

“Come on!” Ruby grabs her hand and tugs on her.

“Where are we going?” 

Ruby grins as she looks towards the tallest tree in the distance. “To get a bird’s eye view.”

At first, despite her excitement at finding a child prodigy, Weiss felt that Ruby must have been handed the opportunity to come to Beacon. After all, she had nearly lost an eye to doing just the same. But when they fought together, Ruby times her strikes and snipes with Weiss’s abilities almost perfectly. For Ruby, this was combo training for the two of them. Weiss, on the other hand, was baffled at how this young girl had such good battle instincts as they quickly dispatched threats. She pushes away from her petty feelings as she realizes Ruby had a true natural talent. 

“How did I let you talk me into this?” Those feelings returned in the shape of anger and confusion as they were riding the back of a giant Nevermore half an hour later.

“We’re fine!” We’ve done this before Ruby wanted to say as the Nevermore suddenly bucked them, “Look there’s the temple!” 

Without another word, Ruby grabs Weiss’s hand and jumps off the massive Grimm! They fell into a rapid free-fall.

"Shoot a gravity glyph, northwest, and about 200 feet!" Ruby suddenly recalls. Weiss whips out Myrenaster and just as the glyph forms, Jaune hits it square on! 

A cry of thank and then a thump is heard as Ruby lands with Weiss in her arms next to her sister and future sister-in-law. 

“Did your sister just jump off the back of a Nevermore with Weiss Schnee??” Blake asks after witnessing a redhead girl riding in on the back of an Ursa. Before Yang can open her mouth to reply, one Pyrrha Nikos is jumping through the brush with a Deathstalker nipping at her ankles. She’s flung through the air and lands on the ground before the rest of the group.

“Can everyone just chill for a second!” Yang shouts, her hair aflame! As they pause to recollect themselves, Jaune has jogged up to everyone before helping Pyrrha stand up. “Okay, so what are we going to do about them?”

“Our goal is to get these back to the Professor, we don’t need to deal with them.” Ruby snatches a knight piece and tosses it to Weiss. 

“We better make a decision fast, that Nevermore is coming back around.” Jaune points. Ruby looks up and yeah the two Grimm are still heading their way. They could head to the ruins or face them here, it’s not like her family won’t face stronger Grimm in the future. 

“Let’s go!” Ruby calls out and they take off. Better not to deviate too much, since she wasn’t sure her presence or plans would alter things. 

“Of course you would come up with something like this,” Weiss chides her 15 minutes later.

“Think you can make the shot?” Ruby smirks.

“Of course I can,” Weiss says with narrowed eyes as she calculates several factors. 

Ruby’s eyes flash with silver light as she adjusts herself. Then she’s shot from the makeshift catapult and climbing the cliffside before Crescent Rose connects with the Nevermore’s neck. 

Teams RWBY and JNPR are formed like before, but this time Weiss has a satisfied smile on her face instead of a look of betrayal. Jaune is still dazed as Pyrrha and Nora lift him off the stage as they pick up their uniforms and head to their rooms. 

“Pyrrha!” Ruby calls out to the girl later that evening before rushing over and hugging her. Pyrrha’s taken aback by the gesture as they had just met. They’re walking back to their rooms from a bathroom to wash away the stress from the test’s events. 

“Hello, Ruby! You were fantastic today.” 

“Thanks! You were great too! I wanted to talk to you about Jaune,” Ruby innocently starts as she hooks her arm into Pyrrha’s. The older girl’s cheeks reddened just so. Ruby’s head bounces and pretends not to notice the blush. “I was wondering if you could help me plan a training regimen for him. We worked really well together turning in the forest so I think it’d be great to continue!” 

Pyrrha visibly relaxes hearing Ruby’s suggestion, glad it wasn’t about what she had thought. In truth, she had already started planning something out in her head. Granted he might say no but if Ruby presents it as joint practice for both teams. That way they could get away with honing his skills and coordinating as a group. 

“What do you have in mind?” 

***

The training facilities were open 24/7 with certain spaces able to be signed off for a specific team. Ruby had both her team and Jaune’s in comfortable workout clothes in an open space, a little past 8 am on the weekend. A week of classes had passed as she and Pyrrha fine-tuned what should be worked on. 

It read as such:

  * Core Exercise: stretching and muscle training
  * Combination Training: partner and team sparring 
  * Combat Practice: unarmed, weapon, and semblance training



When Ruby had brought up the idea he had been a little hesitant, but it was thanks to Pyrrha he had relented and decided it was a good idea.

They start with a light jog around the track, with only Blake and Nora able to keep up with Ruby’s pace. Yang and Pyrrha follow behind but not nearly as fast. Ren, Weiss, and Jaune bring up the rear with their physical stamina not being the best. 

Both Yang and Ren stretch before leading the unarmed training spar session a bit, their styles of fighting counteracting each other. Yang's a heavy hitter while Ren was more for precision and agility. Yang can’t strike or counter Ren but Ren doesn't have enough strength to take down Yang.

Weiss grumbles that such training was pointless as she faces Nora who eagerly got into a stance. Clearly she and Ren sparred often. Yang ducks under Ren’s leg surprised that her sister had suggested weaponless training. Yang had tried for the longest time to get Ruby to learn some moves but Ruby had always been more concerned about her weapon. She’d have to thank Pyrrha later for coaxing her little sister into the idea.

When weapon training is over and semblance training begins, Jaune is sweating and tired. He’s grateful that not everyone is as proficient at running or hand to hand either, even Blake stumbling while she sparred against Ruby. But this was different, only having recently unlocked his aura. He didn’t even know what his semblance was! 

Everyone had gone down the line: Ruby had her speed, Weiss had her glyphs, Blake could summon clones, Yang could take and then dish back out double the damage, Nora could get turbocharged, Pyrrha could control magnetism, and Ren could cloak people’s emotions. They were all so amazing! 

“Okay, so Jaune I want you to put your hands on Pyrrha’s back and just focus on sharing your aura with her.” Ruby instructs, “Pyrrha, I want you to try and lift that squat machine, those 100-pound dumbells, and all of our weapons while they’re in the lockers!” 

Jaune’s confused but places his hands on Pyrrha’s back. It’s broad from years of training and Pyrrha’s wearing sneakers instead of her heels so he’s a little taller than her. Ruby’s smile is a little sly as she can see Pyrrha’s face start to match her hair from the contact. It forces her not to focus on her crush’s presence and instead of the task at hand. The dumbells are easy she’s done that before but everything else was well above her limit. 

Jaune sees her struggling and tries to do the same as she had done, passing his aura onto her. Suddenly his hands glow yellow and Pyrrha feels a warm pulse course through her entire body before she feels her semblance connect with everything she sees and it starts to float inches off the ground. 

“Oh cool!” Ruby observes, happy her idea to unlock his abilities earlier worked, “I think your semblance can amplify other people’s auras!” 

Pyrrha places everything back down on the ground as she grins wide and spins around to hug Jaune out of excitement! He smiles back at and cheers for himself, glad he’ll be of some use to his friends.


	3. Scars and Schematics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby and Weiss bonding time! Have some White Rose in these trying times!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short chapter is short! like weiss!!!

“Hey, Weiss?”

“Yes, Ruby?”

This is a hard thing to ask even if Ruby already knew the answer. However, it was one of those rare moments when they were both alone: Jaune's been dragged away by Pyrrha for some extra training, Ren's taken Nora for a shake, and her sisters were in Vale with Coco and Velvet after their seniors had mentioned a great tea shop downtown.

“Why’d you want to come to Beacon?” Ruby asks, though truthfully she wants to ask about her scar. Weiss stills, not looking up from her book or to her roommate. Ruby stops kicking her feet over the edge. “I-I’m sorry! I didn’t know it was--” 

“Honestly, it was mostly to get away from my father,” Weiss cuts her off, still not raising her head. “My sister Winter, she just seems so much happier not being under his grip. I felt like the only way I could get better both as a fighter and as a person was to get away from him too.” 

Weiss’s hand finds her scar and she traces before sighing. Ruby watches the action with bated breath. 

“I had to train for years to get where I am, to get a chance to change my life, and all it took me was a test from my father.” Weiss finally says after a moment. Her scar is a constant reminder of what her life was like with her father and how much she has grown. That’s why instead of healing it over quickly, she had decided to keep it. That way he always knew that she could be her own person. That didn’t stop the tears from falling into her book, however. 

“Hey,” Ruby says behind her. Weiss hasn’t even heard her move an inch. The warmth of Ruby’s hand was on her shoulder, “Tell more about your really cool sister!” 

Weiss wipes her eyes and smiles. “Winter is the most amazing older sister on the planet--” 

“I’m pretty sure Yang’s better.” Ruby teased, pulling over a chair as she stuck out her tongue.

“Don’t be a pest!” Weiss can’t help but laugh a little, “Do you want to hear about Winter or not?” 

“Sorry, sorry. You were saying.” 

Weiss starts monologuing about Winter and Ruby can’t help but smile at the pride in her partner’s voice with every anecdote. Weiss recounts almost every major accomplishment of her elder sister and adds stories she recalls or witnessed herself. There’s so much love and admiration that Weiss’s spiel carries on well into when Blake and Yang return from their date. 

“It wasn’t a date!” Yang cries out with a blush with Blake rolling her eyes at Ruby’s wording. In turn, Yang starts sharing embarrassing stories about a baby Ruby as payback. Ruby hears of things she didn’t even remember and can’t seem to stop her sister once she got going. Blake laughs and listens intently to Yang’s storytelling, fascinated that her partner was such a vivid performer to the point where she was even using voices. Three of the girls start trading tales back and forth with one happily learning more about her teammates. 

The next morning at breakfast a letter arrives for Ruby. 

“Aw darn,” She pouts, skimming it over quickly.

“What’s wrong?” Weiss asks, cutting into her egg with her pinky up. 

“I asked my pals at signal if anyone could make a design a weapon for me if they had any spare time but they said they didn’t have the tech to do even begin making.” 

“Do you have the specifications?” Weiss’s asks before putting away a bite and then wiping her mouth with her handkerchief. Ruby unfolds the design she had sent and hands it over. Weiss’s eyes scanned over the schematic, once again surprised at her partner’s skills. Though a simple sidearm, the components were fairly complex and what she wanted to accomplish was interesting, “You want the weapon to shoot condensed aura bullets directly instead of using ammunition?” 

Aura could be fused into most materials, even food, so bullet casing and the like were easy enough to transfer energy to. However, using pure aura as a weapon outside of a semblance was relatively unheard of. It was mostly a defensive force as far as anyone was concerned.

“Oh this is clever: the weapon has a compartment meant to harness solar energy as reserve ammunition in the event aura is drained quickly. Who’s this for, might I ask.” Weiss reads aloud, definitely intrigued.

“It’s for Jaune! Pyrrha said he has a lot of aura,” Ruby shoots a glare at her sister who seems to be holding back a comment.

“Do you have a crush on him?” Weiss asks confused.

“Ugh, why does everyone keep saying that. No! I already have feelings for someone else! Besides who wants to mess with that!” Ruby deflects before anyone can further focus on what she says, directing everyone to Pyrrha and Jaune both leaning over to pick up a piece of fruit before touching hands and then bonking heads and laughing/apologizing nervously. Weiss rolls her eyes at the display as Yang lets out an ‘aw!’ and Blake seems to be writing something down in a journal that Ruby’s never seen before. 

“I could have this made in about a month, I think. But you owe me a favor, Ruby Rose.” Weiss says finally after looking over the design once more.

“Anything!” Ruby agrees without thinking. This leads to her own demise as that weekend they go to Vale and though it’s months down the line, begin dress and shoe shopping for the dance.


	4. Stories and Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get tense between Team RWBY but they'll come out closer than before!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been waiting to continue this once Volume 7 ended and now I FINALLY have the time!
> 
> If you have the time please check out my original work, The Astral Shadow, here on ao3 as well!

All eyes were on Ruby and her friends. Yang, Blake, Weiss, Pyrrha, and Ren were at the top of their book classes. Nora, Jaune, and Ruby were somehow the troublesome trio when together but they were in the upper percentile of their studies despite their playful attitudes. Ruby and Pyrrha’s training regimen had given them all a continuous string of victories. Jaune surprised everyone as he took down Cardin with grace multiple times within a week, his growing aura recovery astounding even Glynda into silence with each passing day.

Ruby had them on track to be stronger and more cohesive than before. 

But life was not without struggles even among the closest friends and family.

“And what? Not call a trash can a trash can?!” Weiss snidely gestures towards the object. Despite how much more trust there was between them, Ruby couldn’t just force her friends to grow into the people they were. Yang was about to jump in as they both watched Blake bristle with rage but Ruby held her back. Weiss and Blake needed this, sadly, Ruby understood.

Ruby hugged Penny goodbye, much to the girl’s surprise after just one interaction, as she herded her team back to their dorm.

“--it made for a very difficult childhood,” Weiss yelled, slamming her petite fist on the windowsill. Ruby frowned at the memories of Weiss telling her stories of her father’s rage, of the manipulation, of how it had affected her side of their family. “They are just a bunch of liars, thieves, and murderers!” 

“Well, maybe we were just tired of being pushed around!” Blake practically roared before her eyes shrunk inside her skull with fear and shame. Before anyone could say another word, before Ruby with all her speed could move, Blake was gone. 

“Yang!” Ruby cries and her sister takes off after Blake. Yang could always find Blake no matter where she went or how far she got. Ruby nodded before twirling on a stunned Weiss and pulling her out of the room. Though it was night Ruby had pulled her teammate by the hand to the training grounds that were lit up. They were not alone as other students preferred night practice.

Weiss finally broke from her stupor once Ruby had let go of her hand and stepped away from her. A look of confusion crosses the heiress face as Ruby whipped out Crescent Rose. Weiss then understands her intentions and pulls up Mytenaster before her face.

***

Blake pulls off her bow as she looks up at the statue, tears in her eyes as she sniffles.

“I knew you looked better without the bow.” Came a masculine voice she only vaguely recognized. The faunus boy they had run into earlier that day had somehow found her. Before she could respond as he hops down in front of her another voice sounds out. 

Blake stills at the worry and concern laced in her partner’s voice that it’s enough that Yang catches up to her. Now she’s standing between two blonde bombshells her bisexual heart can hardly deal with. The irony is not lost on her that behind her is the statue of humans and beasts as she looks from Yang to this stranger. 

Yang’s wary of him with a quick curious glance to which he puts up his hands in a surrender motion. Blake watches as Yang’s expression softens when that gaze lands on her. It’s enough for Blake to want to start crying again. “Y-yang I...” She trails off, unsure of how to continue. 

“Please,” Yang says with a soft  _ desperate _ voice that Blake has to strain to hear it despite being so close. It’s almost heart-wrenching, “Don’t run away. Not from me.” 

There's pain and panic in Yang’s eyes that cause Blake to be completely startled. While she’s keeping her secrets and not telling everything about herself, it’s clear her friends have their own pasts that she didn’t even want to learn or even attempt to question. 

“Soooo,” Came the boy’s voice once again and they both cut matching glares at him but he merely smiled, jutting a thumb over his shoulder towards the docks “Let’s get you two out of here.”

***

“Do you feel better now,” It wasn’t a question. Ruby turns her head to face Weiss. They were both lying on the ground now. Ruby had to give it all to push Weiss and let out our frustration.

“I don’t hate the faunus,” Weiss replies, resolutely.

“Sure didn’t sound like it when you’ve been sharing a room with one for months now.” Ruby states. Weiss made a frustrated sound and looked Ruby in the eyes.

“You knew?”  _ And you didn’t say anything? _

“It wasn’t my secret to share. It’s not like we don’t keep stuff close to us. Like your crush on Pyr--”

“WhatareyoutalkingaboutIjustreallyappreciateherformandskill.” Weiss’s face flushed red with panic as if she had been caught red-handed. Ruby couldn’t help but laugh. Weiss wasn’t any less subtle than Yang or Nora--in fact, she was somehow worse at hiding her crush than those two.   
“I’m sure Blake has her own story, her own sadness, that she keeps to herself the same way you do,” Ruby says a little too knowingly. Weiss is staring into those mirror-like eyes and finds nothing but sincerity and honesty. Her partner, as frustrating as it was to admit it, was right. 

Weiss had her own brand of loneliness but that didn’t mean she was alone in that feeling. She couldn’t imagine what Blake’s life was like with the White Fang nor what had driven her to come to Beacon. 

“I really showed the worst side of me didn’t I. How unbecoming.” Weiss groaned as she placed both of her hands on her face. For all her boasting for leaving behind her father and the Atlesian mindset to be a better person, she couldn’t overcome her own stupid prejudices.

Ruby gave a soft laugh that sounded like bells and Weiss was blushing now for a different reason.

***

“All with the help of a little black bow.” Blake finishes her story before the duo, days later. Instead of going back to the dorm, the trio had gone around Vale to let Weiss cool down. In that time Blake found out that the boy was named Sun Wukong, a faunus from Vacuo but went to Haven Academy. 

Yang seemed slightly annoyed by his presence at first but the two bright people easily became friends. Blake couldn’t help but smile as they chatted about how much they lifted, despite how upset she was and how she was fretting facing Weiss and Ruby again. Her eyes watched Yang’s lavender eyes--the eyes of her chosen partner that reminded Blake of her own aura--drink in and process the information she was told. 

Then Yang went to open her mouth to speak before her eyes went to Sun and she stopped. Blake understood whatever she wanted to say was only meant for her. “Sun, could you give us a minute please?” Blake asks gently, the boy taking their cups of tea for a refill. 

“Why did you run?” Yang asks, her eyes looking down at the table.

“My partner he--” Blake starts, thinking she’s talking about the White Fang, but Yang shakes her head.

“Why did you run from us? From me?!” Yang’s eyes flicker red for a moment.

“....I wasn’t certain how you would react to me being a faunus or part of a terrorist sect.” Blake answers honestly. “Clearly not all of my teammates are as open-minded as you are. But why are you so focused on my leaving and not anything else?” 

“Because--” Your smile makes my stomach flip. Your laugh brightens my day. Because you're my partner and I think I’m slowly falling in love with you with each passing day. “When I was a baby, my mom left me.” Yang starts to tell her story.


	5. Questions And Confirmations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby is interrogated by Ozpin as a new piece is put into place.

“Would you care to explain what led you and your team to the docks, Ruby,” Ozpin asks her, coffee steaming as he sits across from her.

“Weiss and Blake got into a fight a few days ago. Yang went after her and they ran into a student from Haven who heard some information about a bunch of Dust. Since everyone knew the White Fang was going after dust for some reason, they thought like Hunters and scoped out the area. You should probably give Professor Lionheart congratulations on training a great student.” Ruby keeps eye contact as she catches Ozpin flinching. Working with Oscar for some time had its advantages. She knows Lionheart hasn’t been in contact with Ozpin for some time.

“Are you certain--” He starts.

“That Blake isn’t some sort of White Fang spy? The same way my uncle and mother were sent from their bandit tribe to kill Hunters. No, I’m not.” Ruby interrupts. It’s stupid for her to show her knowledge. But Brothers be damned if she sits here listening to Ozpin accuse her teammate, her family!

His eyes open with surprise, his carefully crafted expression cracked at her words. He knows she’s talking about Raven, not Summer, who’s actually Yang’s mom. “Your uncle told you that?” 

“Not while he was buzzed. He talks in his sleep sometimes.” Ruby sighs as she closes her eyes and crosses her arms. This was true even after Qrow kicked the habit in her original timeline. Bits and pieces of his adventures and failures he didn’t like to share. Ruby watches as Ozpin seems to reevaluate her in his mind. 

“Was there anything else?”

“We met a very sweet but odd girl. She had an Atlesian accent and I think she said she was General Ironwood’s niece. She’ll be a great Hunter one day.” 

“Why do you keep saying that?” 

“Sir?” Ruby asks, genuinely confused. 

“Why do you keep saying 'Hunter'. You said it before and I find it strange.” He points out and Ruby wasn’t aware she was saying it.

“Besides it being more gender-neutral? Huntsmen remind me of stories like  _ The Girl In the Tower  _ and _ The Four Maidens _ . As much as I love stories of heroes and monsters, the Grimm are very real. So Hunter seems to fit more.” His eyes narrow at the mention of those two tales but Ruby’s eyes flicker just enough for him to relax. She knows something but should not be tested.

“Thank you, Ms. Rose, now I must call the General and see if his niece needs any special accommodations.”

Ruby nods and thanks to him for his time before heading back to her dorm. Sure, she let something unnecessary slip but she was able to put a few things in play. Ozpin would check on Lionheart and maybe realize something was wrong while also looking into Penny to get the Fall Maiden’s powers instead of Pyrrha. 

***

“So what’s with all of this,” Weiss says as their leader’s being questioned by the headmaster. She waves her hand at Blake and Yang on the former’s bed. Blake is leaning against her headboard with a book in hand, her legs over Yang’s lap whose back was against the wall as she tinkered with Ember Celica.

“What are you talking about?” Yang says with her tongue poking out. 

“You two were gone for two days by yourselves and have been canoodling ever since we came back!” Weiss huffs. Blake’s ears turn bright red and Yang chokes on air.

“We have not!” Blake says in a higher than usual voice as she pats Yang on the back.

“Did you two sleep--” Weiss starts. Her brow is raised and her smile is amused.

“We shared a bed, yeah, but that’s because there was only one in the hotel room. Sun slept on the couch!” Yang almost shouts as if that has anything to do with their sudden skinship.

“Speaking of your new friend, do you have to worry about any other surprises?” It wasn’t an accusation on Weiss’s part. Blake and Weiss had spent some time talking about their pasts in depth. Weiss even offered to pay for their team’s trip to Menagerie once their next break happened. 

“Well there was my best friend,” Blake admits. Team RWBY knew the details of why she had left the White Fang, about Adam’s devolution, but she hadn’t brought up the girl she had gotten close to.

***

“This girl will be joining you as you infiltrate Beacon. Her name is Ilia Amitola, Adam suggested her aid.” Cinder Fall announces smugly. In any other situation, Emerald might have found the new girl cute. However, her mentor’s hand was on Ilia’s shoulder. Mercury opens his mouth something as they both watch Ilia shift colors. 

“A chameleon faunus?” Emerald says. That would definitely be helpful between her hallucinations and Neo’s illusions. The three of them would be a great stealth team, Emerald had to admit. Emerald uncrossed her arms. “Okay I can work with that, I’m Emerald.”


End file.
